Electric-motor-starting rheostat.



C. KOSNICK.

ELECTRIC MOTOR STARTING RHEOSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED SULY30,1914.

1,164,291. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

QXMM mow CHARLES KOSNICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-MOTbR-STARTING R-HEOSTAT.

Application filed. July 30, 1914;.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES KosNIcK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Motor-Starting Rheostats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric motor starting rheostats and especially to manually operated devices of this type.

It is customary in operating the present constructions of electric motor starting rheostats to first close the switch and then slowly move the rheostat arm to the conducting segments. hen the arm contacts with the first conducting segment, arcing usually occurs, especially on rheostats built for high amperage, which arcing burns the conducting parts and slowly ruins the surrounding insulating material. This injurious arcing necessitates occasional renewal of the parts and frequent cleaning.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a means whereby electric motors may be started by rheostats without the occurrence of the injurious arcing referred to.

The object mentioned can be accomplished by the engagement of the rheostat arm with the first segment, by employing an automatic relay or circuit breaker. This relay is connected electrically to the first conducting segment on the rheostat and when the rheostat arm contacts with said segment, the main motor circuit is quickly and automatically closed by the relay. Then the rheostat arm is moved by hand to the running position desired, in the usual way. 40 By the provision of this simple and inexpensive relay, arcing is avoided and the objections above pointed out are eliminated.

In the accompanying drawing diagrammatic views are given of the improved de- 45 vice.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the electric motor is shown at 1.

It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to use in connection with any special type of motor and it is therefore to be understood that the series wound motor 1 is by way of illustration only.

The main circuit through the motor is formed through the conductors or wires 2,

3, 4, 5, 6, armature 7, rheostat S, rheostat arm 9, its pivot 10 and conductor plate 11.

Specification 01" Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Serial No. ssams.

The rheostat 8 has the usual conducting segment members 12 and resistance coils 13 in circuit therewith, and also has an elongated contact li arranged out of circuit therewith. Rheostat arm 9 is provided with a conductor segment 15 adapted to move over and contact with the segments 12 and 11. Said arm 9 may have a handle thereto, 16, to facilitate its manual adjustment. Said armature 7 comprises a core 17 to which is connected a transverse conductor bridge arm 18 having contacts thereon, designated 19, and which are adapted to abut contacts 20 to which the wires and 5 are connected to poles. The feed or line wires leading from the source of supply are designated 21, and between said wires and the wires 2 and 3 of the motor circuit is provided a suitable switch 22.

Connected to the wire 2 and conductor segment 11-, respectively, are conductor wires and 2% 01 a relay circuit, said wires connecting with an electro-magnet 25, which may be of any suitable type, and the core of which is the one designated 17 and previously referred to.

lVith the present type of devices of this nature, the contact 14 and the relay circuit as an entirety would not be found. The arm 9 after switch 22 had been closed, would be moved into conducting relation with the conducting segments 12 and areing would occur. lVith my improved form of device, arm 9 is moved into engagement with the contact 14 contiguous with the con tact 15. Switch 22 being closed a relay circuit is formed through the electro-magnet25 from the feed wires 21 by means of the switch 22, conductor 23, conductor 21, contact 14:, contact 15, conductor arm 9, conductor pivot 10, conductor plate 11 and conductor wire 3. lVhen this relay circuit is formed, electro-magnet 25 is energized, consequently drawing its armature inward, causing the engagement of the contacts 19 and 20. A circuit is thereby formed through the motor 1, by means of the conductor 2, switch 22, conductor 3, plate 11, conductor 1, contacts 19 and 0, conductor arm 18, conductor 5, the segments 12 and the resistance coils 13. It will be realized that a circuit has been formed which includes the conducting segment 12. Arm 9 may now be moved so as to engage the desired segments 12, and as the circuit through the same has been closed, arcing will not occur. It will be noted that the relay circuit is closed prior to the closing of the main circuit through the motor and that such closing of the relay circuit is automatic through movement of the controller or rheostat arm 9. Contact 14 has been elongated so that the relay circuit cannot be closed so rapidly as to prevent proper closing of the main circuit before engagement of the rheostat arm 9 with the conducting segments 12;

Inasmuch as only the preferred. embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

lVhat I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is 5- 1. In combination with an electric motor, a rheostat in the circuit thereof, means to start said motor prior to closing of the said circuit through the controller arm of the rheostat, to prevent arcing upon closing of the said circuit, said means forming a relay circuit from the source of motive power, as described.

2. In combination with an electric motor, a rheostat in the circuit thereof, means to start saidmotor prior to closing of the said circuit through the controller arm of the rheostat, to prevent arcing upon closing of the said circuit, said means forming a relay circuit with the source of motive power, and means to close the relay circuit through operation of the controller arm.

8. In combination with an electric motor, a rheostat in the circuit thereof, electromagnetic means in said circuit operable upon energization to close the said circuit, conductor means of the said circuit engageable by the controller arm, a conductor member, means forming a relay circuit with the source of motive power, said electro-magnetic means being connected to the conductor member, said member being engageable by said arm to close the relay circuit through the motor to start the same prior to closing of the first circuit by the engagement of the controller arm and the conducting means to prevent arcing upon closing the circuit through the motor, as set forth. i In testimony whereof I afliX my signatur in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES KwSNICK. Witnesses:

M. G. CosTnLLo, GABRIEL A. Hannrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

